Stairways to heaven

They've been called stairways to heaven.

They also may be stairways for thieves.

For years the stairways of Ninth, Seventh and Fourth avenues have given Avenues residents easy access to City Creek Canyon, Memory Grove and even downtown.

But some maintain the lightless access routes have also been used by criminals looking to make a speedy and quiet getaway from the Avenues after burglarizing a car or home.

"It's a great hideout for those who would commit car prowls and other things," city councilman Eric Jergensen said.

While they don't have any hard proof that the stairs are used by thieves, police have long had issues with the dimly lit stairs.

"The stairs are there for access to green space for residents," Salt Lake City Police Detective Dwayne Baird said. "The trade-off is they give access to bad guys, too."

Community leaders hope to change that with a new Olympic legacy project that will add lighting to the paths of Ninth and Seventh avenues and another separate lighting project that will add lights and other amenities to the Fourth Avenue staircase.

The idea is that the additional illumination will detract bad apples while making the paths safer for residents who would like to use the pathways after dark.

"They're pretty much just dark spaces in the middle of that dark hillside," said Dell Cook, who is overseeing the project for Salt Lake City. "It's really not a people-friendly space right now. We just want to make it more friendly for people who want to use it for legitimate purposes."

Work on the lighting for the pathways of Seventh and Ninth avenues should begin next month and is slated to be finished in time for a May 14 grand opening — the same day as the annual Memory Grove cleanup.

In all, Salt Lake City plans to place 13 decorative street lights on many of the paths' switchbacks.

Following completion of the lighting project the city also plans a repaving effort that will make the paths of Seventh and Ninth avenues accessible for a greater number of residents.

Jergensen helped secure money for the project by funneling the $100,000 that District 3 received in Olympic Legacy funds into the pathway redo. He also helped convince Salt Lake County to put an additional $100,000 into the effort.